Paper picker



June 4, 1957 F. J. BlSSlTT PAPER PICKER Filed on. 27, 1953 Forrest J. Bissiff mmvrox.

United States Patent PAPER PICKER Forrest liissitt, Morganza, La.

Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,539

2 Claims. (Cl. 294--50.7)

This invention relates to a paper picker and more specifically provides a device for easily and quickly removing paper from a floor or the ground.

An object of this invention is to provide a paper picker having a pointed end portion for spearing paper on the ground and also being provided with a pair of gripping fingers for gripping paper on a hard floor such as a concrete walk.

Another object of this invention is to provide a paper picker which may be utilized by a person in a standing position wherein the person may pick up and discharge paper without touching the paper with his hands.

A further object of this invention is to provide a paper picker having an individual paper engaging means depending upon the surface from which the paper is picked up wherein the particular means to be employed is selected by the person using the device.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a paper picker which is simple in construction, easy and efiicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view showing the paper picker of this invention with the gripping fingers in retracted position wherein the pointed end is utilized in picking up P p Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the gripping fingers in operative position;

Figure 3 is a transverse, top plan section taken just across the top of the double sleeve member;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken substantially along section line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing the gripping fingers in extended position; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal, vertical section similar to Figure 4 showing the gripping fingers in contracted and clamping relation.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates the paper picker of this invention including first and second rods 12 and 14 in substantial parallelism throughout the greater portion of their length. The rod 12 includes a plurality of eye members 16 welded along on edge thereof and slidably receiving the rod 14 whereby the rods may slide parallel to each other. The upper end of rod 12 has an offset lateral handle portion 18 with eye members 20 on extreme end portions thereof and the rod 14 has an offset lateral handle portion 22 having a return bend portion 24 slidably received in the remote eye 20 and the main portion of the rod 14 is slidably received in the other eye 20 so that the handle portions 18, 22 are parallel one above the other. Adjacent remote end portions of the offset handle portion 22 of rod 14 are washer like seat members 26 in vertical spaced relation to the eye members 20 and a coil spring 28 is positioned between the eye members 20 and the seat members 26 surrounding the portion 24 and the upper portion of rod 14 wherein the handle portions 18 and 22 are maintained in vertical spaced relation by the springs 28. A fastening member 30 is inserted through the portion 24 of the rod 14 below the eye member 20 thereby maintaining the handle portions 22 and 18 in assembled relation. It will be seen that by applying pressure and moving the handles 22 and 18 towards each other the rods 12 and 14 will be moved in relation to each other.

Now referring specifically to the lower portions of Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 3-5, it will be seen that the lower end portion of the rod member 12 is sharpened or pointed as indicated by the numeral 32, and the lower end portion of rod 14 has a nut 34 screwthreaded thereon and a sleeve 36 welded to the nut 34 and slidably positioned over the rod 12 adjacent the pointed end 32. It will be seen that the sleeve 36 is generally elongated and provided with a projecting flange 38 adjacent its lower end and having diametrically opposed openings 40.

therein. The sleeve 36 is so related to the pointed end 32 that the end 32 will be retracted into the sleeve when the handle members 22 and 18 are moved towards each other.

Slidably positioned on the lower ends of rods 12 and 14 is a double sleeve member 42 which closely surrounds the rods 12 and 14. As clearly seen in Figure 3, a rotatable member 44 is positioned between the sleeves of the double sleeve 42 and includes an ofiset portion 46 and a handle portion48 for rotating the member 44. It will also be seen that suitable openings 50 are provided on the interior of the double sleeve 42 wherein the sleeve 42 may be locked to either rod 12 or rod 14 depending upon the manipulation of the handle 48 wherein the eccentric portion 46 will engage the outer circumference of the selected rod.

Now referring specifically to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that spring fingers 52 and 54 are welded to diametrically opposed edges of the double sleeve member along the center line of the rod member 12 wherein the spring fingers 52 and 54 lie in substantially the same plane and along the center line of the rod 12. Each of the gripping fingers 52 and 54 has an outwardly curved central portion forming a bulge generally indicated by the numeral 56 and free end portions generally indicated by the numeral 58 which are curved towards each other substantially as shown in Figures 4 and 5. It will be noted that the fingers 52 and 54 pass through the openings 40 in the flange 38 on the sleeve 36 and are slidable therein and the fingers are sufliciently resilient wherein the free end portions 58 are moved towards each other when the central portion 56 of the fingers 52 and 54 move upwardly into the openings 40 in the flange 38.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. When it is desired to pick paper from a ground surface, the double sleeve 42 is released and moved upwardly along the rod 14 until the end portions 58 of fingers 52 and 54 are substantially flush with the flange 38 and the handle 48 manipulated to lock the double sleeve 42 to the rod 14 thereby precluding relative motion therebetween. As shown in Figure l, the pointed end 32 then extends beyond the flange 38 and may be used to pierce any paper on the ground surface and after the pointed end 32 has pierced the paper the end portion of the device is held over a suitable receptacle and the handles 18 and 22 are moved towards each other thereby retracting the pointed end portion 32 into the hollow sleeve 36 and the flange 38 will force any paper on the end portion 32 off into the receptacle or wherever it is desired to deposit the scrap paper. When it is desired to pick 3 paper 011 of a concrete walk, a basement floor or the like, the double sleeve 42 is released and moved downwardly to a position substantially as shown in Figure 4 wherein the endportions 58 are spread apart when the springs 28 are in their normal position and the'handle 48 is manipulated so that the eccentric member 46 locks the double sleeve 42 to'the rod 12 wherein the-device is slidable in relation to the rod' 14. The end portions 58 are placed over the scrap paper and the handles 18 and 22 moved in relation to. each other thereby retracting the pointed end 32 and the spring fingers 52 and 54 thereby bringing the centralbulge portion 56 into the openings 40 in the flange 38 wherein'the end portions 58 of the fingers are moved towards each other into gripping relation substantially as shown in Figure 5. It will be understood that the coil springs 28 return the device to its operative position in each instance wherein the paper may be easily and quickly discharged without grasping the paper by hand. It will be noted that the paper picker is made of readily obtainable materials thereby enhancing the economic feasibility of the device. Obviously, the specific size relationships may be determined by the individual needs and uses to which the paper picker will be employed.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the appended claims.

-What'is claimed as new is asfollows:

1. A paper pickup device comprising a pair of relatively fixed and slidable rods having front and rear ends, means slidably mounting the movable rod on the fixed rod in' laterally spaced relation thereto for advance and retraction relative to the fixed rod, a pair of lateral handles on the rear ends of said'rods movable toward each other to advance the movable rod, a sleeve on the fixed rod adjacent its front end, a pair of resilient bowed pickup fingers at opposite sides of the fixed rod extending forwardly thereof, said fingers having fixed ends secured to opposite sides of said sleeve and being flexible toward each other in variable degrees to pick up paper, a second sleeve slidable on said fixed rod forwardly of said first named sleeve for advance thereon, means connecting said second sleeve to said movable rod for advance thereby, an apertured flange on said second sleeve through which said fingers slidably extend and flexing said fingers toward each other upon advance of said second sleeve, said first named sleeve being slidably adjustable on said fixed rod to vary the degree of flexing of said fingers toward each other by said flange, and means on said first named sleeve for locking the same to said fixed rod in difierentadjusted positions of said first named sleeve.

2. A paper pickup device as in claim 1, said last named means being manually operative to lock the first named sleeve to the movable rod after the second named sleeve is advanced whereby to lock said fingers when moved toward each-other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,225,188 

